A 35-year-old man was bludgeoned to death in front of his father for eloping with his loved one, who was forcibly married to another boy three months ago.
The ‘execution’ took place within half-an-hour of a hastily assembled ‘kangaroo’ court at Pahunshi village under
Kursakanta police station in Araria district of northeastern Bihar, pronouncing the ‘guilty’ verdict on Sunday. Gobind Singh, a resident of Madhubani village under the same police station, was clubbed to death by the villagers at the instigation of Baldeo Singh, the father of the girl.

“The whereabout of the couple was traced which led us to Punjab from where the two were lured back to the village on the promise that they would be allowed to marry with social sanction. Gobind was later executed in the presence of his father”, police said. An FIR has been lodged against 18 people connected to this. Kishanganj’s superintendent of police RK Mishra said on Wednesday that one person was arrested and a special police team had been set up to arrest the other accused.

“We’ll ensure speedy trial of the accused and the guilty will be brought to book at the earliest,” he told HT. A deputy superintendent of police (DSP)-rank officer had been assigned to look into the case. Describing the incident as 'barbaric', Araria subdivisional police officer Hari Shankar Kumar said that raids were on to arrest the others accused in the senseless killing. Sources said that the girl was in love with Gobind but her family had forced her to marry Bechan Singh of Sikatia village, about three months ago. But the lovers eloped two weeks ago.

“The girl's family members thought the elopement maligned their image and had taken a vow to teach Gobind and his family a lesson”, a source familiar with the case said. Their whereabouts were soon traced which led the police team to Punjab and they were convinced to return to their village. Upon returning Gobind was beaten to death after being pronounced ‘guilty.’ “All this happened in front of my eyes. I begged them to spare my son's life but they laughed at me”, a sobbing Baldeo Singh said.